Peace Died in the Fire
by outlyer
Summary: Will an authoritarian city state be able to withstand the relentless expansion of Caesar's legion, or will it become one of the eighty-six conquered tribes. Told from many perspectives, takes place in southern Colorado. Violence, Language and some sexual content in the future.
1. Chapter 1

The tribal was sharpening his knife. It was a crude blade, clearly made from a piece of scrap metal with a handle wrapped with animal tendon. He sat on an equally crude wooden stool. He ran the jagged edge over the whetstone, spat on the stone, spread the saliva with his thumb and scraped the blade over the stone again.

Ajax lifted his head from his scope. He could see Captain Miller and the rest of the ten man squad slowly crawling along the edge of the hill. He went back to his scope and paned around the nomad's camp. It consisted of seven tent, some made from Brahmin skin some were patched up prewar structures. They were arranged in a circle around a large fire in the center of the camp. Over the fire was a large slab of meat that two women were turning. A small heard of Brahmin were picketed of to the side of the camp.

Ajax raised his head from his scope again. He could, ever so faintly, see the Rangers position in a semi-circle around the edge of the camp. The nomads had decided to bed down in a hollow guarded on three sides by hills. But what had given them protection from the wind and far off eyes now raised their death above them. Ajax's head lowered to his rife. He adjusted the stock into his shoulder checked for the tenth time that his safety was off and focused his cross hairs on the man sharpening the knife.

It was early in the morning and most of the nomads were still sleeping, about ten of the thirty they had been tracking were outside of their tents. Ajax stated his breathing. In…out…in…out…slow regulated breaths to try and steady his shaking hands. He heard a Burrowing Owl hoot three times. That was the signal, he breathed in and half way out.

A shrill whistle shattered the morning silence. The man with the knife's head shot up, half a second later thunder boomed. Ajax's rifle cracked adding its voice to the storm, the .270 bullet traveled the sixty yards in a millisecond.

Blood painted the sun cracked dirt and the man fell of his stool and onto the ground. Ajax grabbed the bolt of his rifle: up, back, forward, down. The shell casing spun into the grass beside him, nearly hitting his ally laying prone next to him. Ajax panned around the camp, bodies were everywhere, the two women who were cooking lay dead, one had fallen into the fire and was burning.

A middle age man came out of a tent, Ajax instantly moved his cross hairs to the man but before he could fire the nomad's head exploded. A younger man tripped over the body of his fellow as he scrambled from the same tent. He barely managed to keep his feet and stated to sprint out of the camp. Ajax's rife tracked the running man. The man vanished behind one of the tents, Ajax kept moving his gun at the same pace. The man reappeared on the other side of the tent at the same instant as Ajax's cross hairs did. Ajax did not give him a second chance to hide. His rife roared and the man crumpled to the ground, rolled once and lay still. Ajax cycled the action of his rife a second time and returned his scope to the center of the camp. It was crowded with people. It was then that he noticed the silence. There was no more gunfire or yelling. The bodies that he was seeing were all still.

He glanced over to the man lying beside him, the grizzled Ranger looked at him and gave him a broken smile.

"Got them" said Gus as he sat up.

Ajax followed suit not really sure what to do now. He was willing to bet that as long as he mirrored the man to his right he would be fine.

Gus was old for a Ranger, easily in his fifties, and not of any rank, but he was respected by all. Even Captain Miller had asked Gus what he thought of the plan as explained it to the squad as they broke camp that morning.

Gus reached to his right and started to pick his brass out of the dirt. Ajax seeing this did the same, retrieving his casings and placing them in his pocket. Gus stood slung his rife, drew his pistol and stated to make his way down the hill toward the camp. Ajax followed closely.

When the two of them reached the center of the camp the rest of the squad was busy herding the surviving nomads together. As Ajax approached the fire a hand grabbed his foot. He jumped wrenching his boot free and aimed his pistol at the ground.

"Help me" croaked the woman.

She was old, her skin was browned and cracked by the sun and time. The bullet that had downed her had been low catching her in the stomach. The dirt was already soaked red with her blood. Ajax looked at Gus. The Ranger shrugged and said "Don't waste a bullet" then strode off leaving Ajax alone with the dying woman.

Ajax holstered his pistol and drew his knife. He kneeled next to the dying woman she clutched at his shirt as he moved the blade to her throat. He placed his left hand on her shoulder breathed in.

"Pl.." she started to say but his knife silenced her.

He rose to his feet the woman gurgled and convulsed for a moment then was still. He closed his eyes took a few deep breathes and then continued forward. The rest of the Rangers had already separated the surviving eleven nomads into three groups. The first of the groups consisted of three small children. A girl no more than six was holding an infant and a toddler held onto her crying. The second group was older children between eight and twelve. There were four of them shivering and terrified, a few had blood on them even though they were unharmed. The third group was the oldest: two teenagers, an old man and a woman in her twenties. Behind each of them stood a ranger. The Captain nodded to the rangers standing behind them.

Ajax knew what was coming next and wanted to look away but he could not tear his gaze from the young woman. She was staring at him, pleading with her eyes. He tried to look away he knew it was the rules that when you take captives you kill the older ones. The ones who might try to hunt you down later for revenge. You send the children packing, even if the desert does not kill them they will be too young and terrified to do anything and you take the youngest to be raised back at the Colony.

He knew this, he had sworn to do this and yet when the Rangers force the adults onto their knees he could not help but have second thoughts. The Rangers drew their knives and in unison slit the captive's throats. The blood squirted into the dirt, Ajax looked at the children, they all stared at the scene of violence before them muted by terror. The Rangers let go of the bodies and they thudded to the ground. That was when the screaming started. Captain Miller turned to the second group.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP" he roared.

Miller was a large man six four and two hundred pounds. He carried the squads only .50 Cal and had been known to kill a man by ripping his jaw off. He had a scar that ran across his face nearly claiming his left eye. If you believed the story he had gotten it when fighting a Deathclaw with his knife. Most people were inclined to believe the story because around his neck Miller wore a necklace made from the claws of a Deathclaw and he had knocked a man out in a single punch when he had called the captain a liar.

The children stared stupefied at the Captain. He raised his hand and pointed to the south.

"Walk that way and we will never meet again" he said calmly.

The children turned looked off into the distance and started running.

Ajax moved to the edge of the camp where he had made his first kill. The man was younger than he had thought, he was probably still in his teens. He crouched down next to the body. It had been a perfect shot, the bullet had hit him at the base of the skull severing the spinal cord. Ajax looked into the man's eyes, they were still open and seemed to follow him as he moved. Ajax reached forward with his arm and carefully closed the man's eyes.

He started to search the man. Rangers were issued standard equipment when they gave their oaths: a bolt action rifle with a simple glass, a fixed blade knife and a 9mm or .45 Cal semiautomatic pistol. But they were allowed the first pick of weapons and supplies that they looted on missions. A man like Gus would have had thousands of kills and in turn thousands of opportunities to improve his arsenal. Gus no longer had a bolt-action, his gun was an M-14 with an infrared scope.

Ajax's hands soon fell upon a revolver. The gun was mostly hidden, tucked inside of the man's shirt, and for good reason. These nomads were usually pretty poor when it came to weapons. A gun of any worth would have been taken and given to the chief or best warrior. And this was a good weapon, .44 magnum six shot. The gun was in amazing condition the wood and metal was unscratched. When Ajax opened the action it was smooth and sharp. He looked at the man, where had he gotten this? Ajax pushed aside these thoughts, the only person who could answer them was dead and they would need to heading back to the Colony soon. Ajax's continued search turned up some rounds for the pistol and a strange gold coin. He mindlessly stuffed the supplies in his pack and moved on.

The second man he had shot had not been as clean of a kill. The round had punched through his chest sideways. There was blood splattered in front of the man's mouth, Ajax could envision himself lying there drowning on his own blood. A search of the man revealed nothing of use, he had probably been sleeping when the attack began.

Ajax returned to the center of the camp. The other Rangers were busy looting corpses and tents. The meat over the fire was burned and the woman that had fallen in was mostly gone. Ajax looked at the meat and then around the camp, he spotted two tanning racks with Brahmin skin stretched over them. If these people had just left their herds alone they would still be alive. But the Colony had no tolerance for thieves.

Captain Miller walked up next to him.

"Find anything good boy" he inquired.

Ajax pulled the revolver from his pack and mutely handed it to the bear of a man. The Captain took it, turned it over in his hands grunted in approval and handed it back.

"Cheer up boy, we fucked those thieving bastards and we did it without a single man getting injured, today was a good day" the Captain emphasized his words of wisdom with a pat on Ajax's back. The blow nearly sent him to the ground.

Ajax recovered and looked at Miller, the man had already started to walk away and was yelling at a pair of Rangers to load up the Brahmin. Ajax looked at the ground, the four nomads that they had executed were lying there in pools of their own blood. He doubted that they thought it was a good day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Jasmine

Jas stared at the deserted cafeteria table. The long benches were usually packed with the fiftyish Rangers, now it was completely empty. She took a bite of corn. It had been years since all five squads had been sent out at the same time. She chewed the food slowly, pondering. Nothing had happened recently that would explain their absence. She had heard rumors of some missing Brahmin but why the hell would you send fifty snipers after a couple coyotes or junkies?

Jas was so deep in thought that she didn't notice her friend Sarah until the girl set here plate down next to her.

"Hi Jasy" she said cheerily.

That was Sarah, the polar opposite of Jas. Always happy, every cloud has a silver lining and all that. The differences didn't stop there, physically they were night and day. Sarah was tall, blond and curvaceous. Jas was short, lithe, flat-chested and kept her black hair cropped short.

They had been friends from childhood. Both had grown up in level 3, the orphanage. Sarah's parents had died from a flu outbreak. Jas was a transplant or forcefully adopted if you were being politically correct. She had been taken at a very young age and had no memories of life outside of the colony. When she was five she had asked their Nanny what had happened to her parents.

The woman had responded "They lived outside of the Colony and it was very dangerous. So they asked the Rangers to take you from them, to keep you safe"

As she grew older Jas learned what the Rangers really did and that her parents had probably been some junkies that had attacked the Colony's herds in hopes of an easy meal.

She had no resentment for the Colony though. If she had not been "forcefully adopted" and had lived her life out there in the wastes by this age she would be dead, raped, both or, if she was very lucky, married off to some stranger for a rife and some caps. Her forgiveness was not universally shared. A few of the children who were older when they were taken held their peoples deaths against the Colony. There had been a riot five years ago that lead to a dozen murders, twenty executions and the age for transplant being lowered from ten to six.

"What are you staring at?" Sarah's voice jolted Jas back to the present.

"Hu?" Jas questioned as she turned to look at Sarah.

"What are you staring at?" Sarah repeated.

"Oh I was" Jas pointed her fork at the abandoned table "Wondering where they had all went, if none of them are here how am I supposed to try out?"

On the fifteenth of June of every year every citizen of the Colony who was sixteen had to choose a profession. Most of the jobs only required that you be interested in them to be accepted. But a few had actual tryouts, with various requirements. The Ranger tryout was notoriously grueling. It had an obstacle course, a physical exam, a psychological exam, eye test, and after all that there was one more test. No one who was not a Ranger knew what the test was. Those who failed never spoke of it neither did those who succeeded. Three teens had died during it and several had gone missing.

"You're still going to go through with that?" Sarah queried. "Do you think they will let you in?"

"Why wouldn't they?" asked Jas.

"You're a girl" Sarah answered as she took a bite.

"Women have been Rangers before" this was a long shot and Jas knew it, a women had not been a Ranger in twenty years. "I've checked the rules, they say nothing about sex and the test shouldn't be effected by that" Jas continued.

"None of their rules except when they go into their barracks and talk it out, the tests and rules are a formality Jas and you know that, the squad Captains have the final say".

A buzzer sounded cutting off the girl's conversation. The room rose as a whole. The girls stood, Jas picked up an untouched plate along with hers. They carried their plates with then as they headed toward the door. They placed their plates on the pile by the door. Sarah grabbed her in a fierce hug.

"I hope you get in. See you after school?" she said into Jas's ear.

"Like always" Jas answered as they parted.

The Colony was built in and overtop of a half-finished vault. Eighty years ago a small tribe found the vault. One of them was technically apt enough to activate the vault's nuclear reactor. This brought the tribe power and water. As the tribe grew it expanded beyond the vault. Five years ago the people started to build a giant wall. The goal was to surround the vault, its above ground structures and its core pastures and fields, the wall is still unfinished. From the beginning the tribesmen used the weaponry they found in the vault to eliminate any other group that made any claim to the land surrounding the vault. The Colony earned a reputation of brutality, wealth and unbeatable soldiers.

The Colonies armed forces were divided into four branches. Rangers, the snipers that wandered far from home. These men were charged with hunting down raiders and rival tribes.

Sentries were the Colonies rank and file infantry. They numbered the same as the Rangers but were greatly different in weaponry and training. The Sentries were armed with shotguns, assault rifles and explosives. Usually heavily armed and always armored these men defended the wall, the crews constructing it and the scavenging crews that venture to distant cities.

The Colony maintained two smaller armed forces. It had a police force of ten. Crime was not a major problem after the riots and the police spent their days dealing with misdemeanors. The fourth branch was the smallest with only three members and it was in charge of the colonies small amount of mechanized weapons.

The reputation of the Colony was not wrong. It was a rich city. Its residents enjoyed fresh water, free electricity and a public school system. Jas had attended this school for most of her life. But in the past year she had found herself spending less time with books and more time deep in the bowls of the vault, as an assistant for the vaults power manager.

Jas got into the crowded elevator at the end of the hall and pressed the bottom most button. The lift stopped on each of the floors. Each time letting two to three people off. When the elevator reached Level 4, maintenance and power, she was all alone. Jas stepped out of the lift and into the hall. She didn't like the tunnels down here, too dark and enclosed, the walls were lined with pipes. Some were ice cold others would burn your hair is you got to close. Jas had learned that from experience. The burn had left a scar on her left forearm.

She reached the end of the passage. A large door blocked her progress. She dug an old faded key card from her jumpsuit and fed it into the slot next to the door. The machine buzzed, beeped and turned green. The door hummed and sank onto the floor.

"Hershel?" Jas called out as she retrieved her card from the door.

She was now in the beating heart of the colony. All the power and water that kept her people alive passed through here.

"Hershel?" she shouted again.

She ducked under a pipe and tripped on a bucket of tools. The wrenches and screwdrivers spewed across the floor with a crash.

She swore "Fuck".

"What's that goddamn racket about?" a voice shouted.

"Don't worry Hershel it was me" Jas yelled back "Ill clean it up".

Jas heard the old man grumble some words, they were too quiet to make out but she was sure that they were some colorful comments on her abilities.

Jas set the plate of food down, got on her hands and knees and started placing the tools back in their bucket.

"Get in here and help me up" Hershel yelled at her.

Jas finished cleaning, picked up the bucket, the food and made her way to the back of the room. A tattered sheet had been suspended from the celling walling off a corner. She placed the bucket down on a shelf, pushed the sheet back and stepped into Hershel's room.

"Grab my chair" Hershel ordered.

Jas held the plate for him to see "Do you want to eat first?"

The old man waved the food away "Set it down I'll eat it later"

Jas doubted that he would but she complied. She wheeled the chair over to the man's bed and reached for his arm to help. He shoved it away

"I got it" he growled. "If the day ever comes that I can't get from my fucking bed to my fucking chair put a bullet in my fucking head".

Jas smiled, most people would be put off by the old man's constant cursing, general gruffness and distaste of people but Jas loved him for it, they were like peas in a pod.

It was Hershel's job to keep the vaults innermost parts working. After he lost his leg in a mysterious accident he had sworn never to leave the vault, that was five years ago. There were rumors that he was the tribesman that had started the vaults reactor all those years ago. But Jas never believe them.

Hershel finished settling himself into the chair. He pointed at the tool chests and grunted. Jas pushed him over to the boxes and waited for his next command.

Hershel finished gathering the tools he wanted and said "Take me to the third water pump, it's been slaking off lately".

Jas spun the chair around and wheeled him to the pump. Hershel grunted, Jas had learned that this was his version of a please and thank you.

"Go topside they've scavenged a part I want" the man ordered.

Jas started for the door, "And don't piss around up there, I want it quick." He yelled at her back.

"Miss you too Hershel" Jas called over her shoulder.

Whatever Hershel might have said was cut off by the door closing behind her.

* * *

**Chapter three will be out next Saturday or Sunday. From there on the chapters should be weekly, I will sacrifice quantity for quality. **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Ajax

The nomad girl fell to the ground. She had been stumbling along for the last mile. The smaller children were riding on the Brahmin that the Rangers had taken as pack animals but she had been deemed old enough to walk. The girl tried to push herself up but her shaking arms collapsed beneath her. Ajax stopped and looked at the girl. She had brown hair matted with dirt, when she looked up at him from the dust he saw her deep chocolate eyes were full of tears. Ajax unslung his rife, the girls eyes filled with fear.

"Don't worry" he told her "I'm not going to shoot you."

This did little to calm the girl. He knelt down beside her, setting the rife across his knees. He extended his hand to her, she looked at his hand, his face and then the gun on his lap.

"I'm sorry" the girl starred at him as he spoke. "About your people, please believe me, I am not going to hurt you."

The girl grasped his hand. He hauled her onto is pack where she clung. Ajax stood straining against the weight, he started to jog trying to get back into line with the rest of his squad.

The going was grueling. The sun baked the men. The supplies they had looted from the Nomads strained them more. After two hours the girl on his back spoke.

"Are we slaves?" the girl's voice was faint and cracked.

"No you're not slaves" Ajax said as he reached for his canteen.

"Then why are you taking us? Are you going to eat us?"

Ajax lifted his canteen over his shoulder, it was quickly snatched from his grasp.

"We are taking you to our home, it is a city north of here" he explained "And why do you think we would eat you?"

The girl finished drinking and handed the canteen back. "My parents told me that the Chupacabra eat little children" the girls voice no longer broke as she spoke.

"We're not cannibals" Ajax assured the girl.

He paused as he carful made his way down a short slope into a dead river.

"Chupacabra, is that what you call the Rangers?"

"Yes" the girl answered "Mummy told me that the bad men from the north could see in the dark and drank the blood of the tribes they killed and could shoot the wings off a fly"

Ajax smiled, he had heard the other men talking about the myths that surrounded the Rangers but he had never really thought that anyone actually believed any of it.

"Some of us have night scopes" he explained to the girl, the embankment was blocking the sun providing some blessed shade. "We don't drink anyone's blood and if you believe him, Gus claims to have shot the wings of a grasshopper."

* * *

The man and the girl continued for some time in silence.

As they were climbing back out of the ditch the girl spoke "Why did you kill my mom?"

Ajax swallowed nervously, he had been dreading a question like this.

"I didn't shoot any women" he hadn't technically lied.

"She wasn't shot" the girl was starting to cry "The fighting was over and you killed her"

Ajax closed his eyes. "Fuck" he whispered under his breath, the girl had seen her mother's throat slit.

The girl was sobbing now "You had her, she promised if we stayed in the tent and didn't fight that everything would be okay." She hit Ajax shoulder with her little fist. "You, you, that, it, it's not" the girl was balling now. "Why? Why? Why? She didn't fight" her words were broken apart by her sobbing.

Ajax stopped kneeled down and set the girl on the ground. He held her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Your mother is dead, I am sorry about that, but there is nothing that you can do. Tomorrow we will arrive at the Colony, it is a large city. There you will be taken and raised in the orphanage. There will be a lot of other kids there who lost their parents. It is best to forget about your life before. Be glad that we found you, you may not think it now but when you are older about twelve or thirteen you will be very thankful that we killed your parents and took you with us." Ajax finished his speech.

The girl starred at him "I will never be glad" she said.

* * *

It was now well into the afternoon. The girl had refused to be carried and walked in front of him. Ajax was regretting what he had said, it was the truth yes and she was going to have to accept the situation sooner rather than latter but maybe he could have been kinder about it.

He picked up his pace, he was alongside the girl, about to speak, when the Brahmin in front of them collapsed, the toddler riding it screamed as he fell. The Brahmin started to thrash kicking up a cloud of dust. A Ranger darted forward snatching the boy before he got kicked. The Brahmin righted itself and promptly fell again with a moan of pain. Ajax moved forward and watched as the animal failed again to stand. It fell in a cloud of dust and this time it did not try to stand instead laying on its side. Ajax noticed the Brahmin's front leg, it was bloody and twisted. White bone split the skin.

"Legs broken" announced the Ranger that had grabbed the little boy.

The man set the boy down and drew his knife. He positioned himself behind the suffering animal, grabbed the Brahmin's higher head and cut its throat.

The blood flashed in the sun as it sprayed into the dirt. The Brahmin's second head mooed, terrified at the sight of blood. As the animal trashed Ajax looked behind it, he spotted the prairie dog hole that the Brahmin must have caught its foot in. He looked back at the animal. It had stopped moving and the blood had slowed to a trickle. The Captain was there, standing over it, Ajax would not have been surprised if the look on Miller's face scared the animal back to life. Miller turned to the Ranger with the bloody knife.

"Start butchering" he ordered. The Captain turned and strode away, he stood stationary for a moment then yelled back at the squad. "Gus, AJ, get your asses up here".

Ajax was the first to reach the Captain. Miller slung his arm over the younger man's shoulder. Ajax knew the gesture was one of affection and companionship but could not help but feel uncomfortable.

"You did good this morning son, I want you…" Gus walked up to the pair and stood waiting the Captain saw him and continued "And Gus to scout ahead, that Brahmin is going to slow us down. Go two, three miles ahead and find a spot to bed down. I want to get as many miles as possible behind us today. Okay?" he looked at his two soldiers, they nodded "Good" he said as he patted Ajax's back "Now get going."

* * *

They walked for an hour before Gus stopped. They had not said a word in that time. The old man looked around. They were standing in a small depression. To the west was a cluster of rocks, perfect for blocking the winds that prevailed from that direction. To the south a short cliff guarded them. The ground to the east rose up slightly.

"Look around. Make sure nothing will sneak up on us in the night." Gus muttered softly.

Ajax nodded and started for the cliff.

The land vanished in a short but violent way. Ajax carefully climbed down the rock face. He jumped the last couple feet. The cliff was about ten feet tall and stretched away in both directions. It curved away from him in blocking his sight of either end. He turned and followed the wall keeping it on his left. He had walked twenty yards when he saw the end of the cliff. The rock face had crumbled and merged into a hill. Ajax turned intent on following the cliff to its other end. As he rotated his eyes fell upon the entrance to a cave. Ajax peered inside. The entrance was about five feet across and high. He unslung his rife and ducked inside. He took a step forward and froze. Inside the cave, no more than four feet in front of him a Deathclaw lay slumbering.

* * *

**Sorry about the length. I promise that the next chapter will make up for it. That chapter will be up next Saturday. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Ajax

Ajax held his breath. His eyes darted around the cave, it was narrow but extended far into the earth. The Deathclaw was not alone, two other hulking shapes slept behind it. Ajax, painfully slowly, took a step back. He slowly applied weight to the foot, making sure that the ground was firm and silent, then took another step back. After taking several steps the Deathclaw yawned. Ajax leaped back twisted and pressed his back against the rock. He heard the beast rise, Ajax peered to his right, at the cave entrance, the Deathclaw was crawling out of it. It stood and stretched. It tuned its head to the right. Ajax slowly raised his rifle. The Deathclaw looked to its left, it starred directly at Ajax. He stood completely still, hopping his desert camo and the Deathclaws bad eyesight would hide him.

He swore he saw the beast smile, then it leaped at him. He fired the rife from his hip. The round punched straight through the charging Deathclaw's face. The beast howled in agony adding its voice to the roar of Ajax gun. The gun shot seemed to only anger the beast. Its flailing arms bashed Ajax rife out of his hands. The man turned and sprinted for the end of the cliff. He could hear the Deathclaw behind him. Ajax scrambled up the hill, a blow, from the beast pursuing him, sent him spinning. Luckily his backpack shield him from the attack. Ajax scrambled to his feet, the rocks were the only cover, he ran for them. The Deathclaw swung again, this time the claws connected with flesh. Ajax felt the razor like claws slice into the back of his leg. He fell sliding forward in a cloud of dust. The rocks were directly in front of him. He crawled for them, arm over arm, pulling himself under them as the beast swiped at his legs.

Ajax scrambled forward, pulling himself deeper into the crevice. Clawed hands grasped at his legs trying to pull him out. He twisted in the tight space and kicked the hand giving himself the moment necessary to draw his pistol. A hand reappeared, searching the small space for him. Ajax braced his back against the rock and kicked with both legs. He pinned the beast hand against the ground, and fired three times. The noise was deafening in the confined space. The rounds impacted the Deathclaw's wrist in a tight grouping. The monster roared and pulled back wrenching its arm from its mangled hand. The disembodied hand twitched, Ajax had a moment to recover before the beasts renewed their assault.

The Deathclaws concentrated on moving rocks out of the way. Ajax looked up, he could see more and more sky as the beasts flung the boulders aside. A hand shot down from above scraping at the stone above his face. Ajax squirmed away and fired repeatedly.

The hand was withdrawn with a howl, spraying Ajax with blood. Another hand reached for him. He fired twice. Again a howl and the hand was removed. The slide on Ajax's 1911 was back. He pressed the release and the magazine fell to the sand. He reached into his belt fumbled a new magazine into the handle and thumbed the slide forward. In his attempt to get away from the Deathcaws that had dug through the ceiling Ajax had positioned his back against the entrance. A set of razors ripped across his lower back. He roared, spun around and shoved his head and shoulders out from under the rocks. The Deathclaw standing there stared at him, seemingly surprised at the sudden assault. Ajax fired empting all seven rounds into the beasts face.

Ajax shimmied under the rocks again. He dropped the empty pistol, shrugged off his pack and dug around for the revolver. His hand felt nothing, his pack was empty. The bottom had been sliced open. Ajax glanced out over the ground. The Deathclaw he had shot was holding its face and there on the ground was a trail of supplies leading up to the rocks. About ten yards away lay the revolver. The Deathclaws above him had realized that he was out of their reach and had gone back to throwing rocks off the pile. The beast in front of him lowered its claws. Ajax saw that one of those hands was a bloody stump. The beast looked at him, its face was possible uglier than before. The right eye was missing, the right horn had been shot off and it cheek was in tatters.

The beast screamed and leapt forward. Its progress was stopped by a bullet going through it head, ear to ear. The Deathclaw fell and slid up against the rocks. Ajax poked his head out and peeked in the direction that the shot had come. Forty yards off Gus kneeled, rife leveled at the two remaining Deathclaws. The two beasts noticed their dead companion. A second shot hit one of the beasts in the neck and they both jumped off the rocks. Sprinting for the shooter. Ajax crawled from under the rocks and limped forward. He glanced to his left. Gus had stood up and was stepping backwards as he fired. The Deathclaws were approaching him, fast, seemingly unharmed by the wave of .308s. Ajax reached the revolver and fell to his knees.

He did not waste time checking if it was loaded, he had to trust memory. Ajax cocked back the hammer and aimed down the iron sights. The Deathclaws had almost reached Gus. The old ranger had emptied his rifle had was busy reloading. The Deathclaws were within ten yards of him. Ajax breathed, steadied his hand and fired. The Deathclaw's hunched back protected its head but its knee was open for attack. The bullet ripped through the beast's leg and it collapsed in a cloud of dust, claws and blood. After taking the shot Ajax started to limp forward, as fast as his wounded leg would allow. Gus finished reloading and, with the Deathclaw on top of him, he put two rounds, point blank, into the beast skull.

The Deathclaw that Ajax had downed was crawling slowly toward Gus. Ajax limped up behind the beast. The creature turned and roared at the man. Ajax placed his gun against the beast forehead. It was too weak to even attack. Its face had been ravaged by Ajax's original rifle shot, its chest was pockmarked with holes and its hands were misshapen by bullets. Ajax fired, spraying the beast brain across the ground.

It was then, when the adrenalin started to wane, that Ajax realized the full extent of his wounds. His legs gave way under him. He lay in the dirt staring at the sky, a buzzard circled overhead. He closed his eyes.

He heard footsteps beside him "Get up" Gus commanded.

Ajax tried to respond, to move or say something but his body refused to respond. The old Ranger spotted the wounds on Ajax.

"Fuck" whispered the man. "Okay listen to me I'm going to…." The Rangers words faded slurring into a white noise that covered the world. Ajax felt himself slip and fall. And keep falling, into nothing.

* * *

When he finally awoke it was night. Ajax was lying on his back next to the pile of boulders. Fire light was dancing across the stones. A man laughed. Ajax turned his head.

"Be careful" somebody commanded. A man was sitting next to him. "You lost a lot of blood, you will be weak for a while."

Ajax recognized the man now, it was Max, the squads medic.

"You're lucky to be alive" Max continued "If those cuts on your leg were a quarter inch longer they would have clipped the artery, you would have bleed out in seconds."

Ajax looked at the fire. The entire squad was here along with the children and the surviving Brahmin.

"Thanks for fixing me up Max" Ajax croaked.

Max shrugged and responded "No problem, all I did was clean the wounds and stich you up. You are going to need more when we get home. You sound thirsty, are you hungry?"

Ajax opened his mouth to say that he was thirsty but Max was already speaking.

"Hey girl" he shouted at the fire. "Bring food and water" he turned to Ajax "If it gets to painful tell me, I can give you a little shot of Med-X" Max patted his shoulder, stood and walked away.

The little girl that he had carried earlier approached with a plate and canteen. The girl sat down next to him and lifted the canteen to his lips.

After he finished drinking Ajax spoke. "I thought you hated me?"

"I don't hate you" the girl said as she cut a piece of meat from the slab on the plate. "I said I would never be thankful."

She stabbed the piece and lifted it to Ajax mouth. He bit it off the knife and she started cutting again.

"You are my tribe now and we take care of each other. You killed the bad things so we could sleep here, you carried me and now I am helping you."

She stabbed a slice of meat and raised it to his mouth again. Ajax shook his head. The girl set the knife down and waited.

"What's your name?" asked Ajax the girl looked at him.

"Holly, what's yours?"

"My name is Ajax" he responded.

"Ajix, Ajee Alli," Holly stumbled over the word.

"Most people call me AJ" he said with a smile.

Holly smiled back "Would you like some more food AJ?" she raised the plate as she spoke.

"Could I have some more water?" Holly nodded, set the plate down and grabbed the canteen. "Thanks Holly."

* * *

Ajax was unable to walk the next morning. Captain Miller ordered that the Brahma be unloaded so that he could ride it. Max helped him limp over the animal and climb onto its back. Gus walked up beside him as they set off.

"Here" he said blankly as he handed Ajax's rife to him.

He took the weapon and examined it. The glass and steel were undamaged. He ran his hand over the shattered stock. The Deathclaw had split the wood in half.

"Give that to the armory when we get back they'll have it fixed in a day or two" and with that the Ranger walked away.

Ajax went to sling the rife over his shoulder as was his habit but then realized that the straps lower connection had been ripped from the stock. He sighed and laid the gun on his lap. Out of routine he opened the bolt, placed the casing in his pocket and closed the action. Not that he could use the rife. If he shot it the recoil would drive splinters into his shoulder.

After a few minutes of riding the pain was starting to become unbearable. No matter how he shifted his position it seemed that there was a vertebra rubbing his wounds. He was about to ask Max for a shot of Med-X when Holly appeared beside him. The girl pulled the pack from her back and handed it up to him. Ajax took it and examined the neat stiches that pulled shut the hole from the Deathclaw.

"I fixed it last night when you slept" explained Holly.

Ajax opened the pack and looked inside. All of his stuff was there including his 1911.

"Thank you Holly, this is really nice work" his word made her blush.

"It was nothing" she said humbly.

Ajax removed the revolver from his pack. The weapon looked as new as when he had found it. He opened it, the spent cartridges were still inside. He removed them and reloaded the gun before placing it back in the pack. He did the same for the 1911. He felt a lot better with the gun on his thigh. Next his hand fell upon the gold coin he had found. It was heavy in his hand, probably made from solid gold. He examined it closer. On one side there was a man with a branch across his head the words above and below the man were strange to Ajax. "Aeternit Imperi" Mouthed Ajax. He shrugged and flipped the coin over. This side had a bull with "Pax Per Bellvm" surrounding it. Ajax placed the coin back in his pack. He would turn it in with the rest of the loot when they got back to the Colony. He had no use for money. Food, Medical care and housing were supplied. His salary was enough to pay for anything else he wanted.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. By noon they had crossed into the city's lands. The earth was scattered with small farms and pastures. Soon after that they reached the wall. The wall was twenty-feet tall and made from reinforced concrete. At least in this part. When the project was started the Colony scavenged the concrete, rebar and the like from a factory nearby. But after the south portion of the wall was finished. The factory was out of recourses. The rest of the wall was made from cars, brick, rock, and scrap concrete chunks. The wall was almost finished. The northern section had only a hundred more feet to go.

The squad entered through the south gate and continued to their barracks. Holly stood in awe, staring at the buildings, the people, the wall. Ajax would have bet that the most humans that she had seen at once would have been the thirty in her tribe. A woman came over, she was holding the infant and had the toddler by the hand.

"Come with me dear" she said to Holly.

The girl looked up at Ajax "Go with her, I'll come and visit once I am better" he told Holly.

The girl looked doubtful but walked over to the woman.

Ajax slid of the Brahma's back. He balanced on his right leg, Max came over grabbed Ajax's arm and put it over his shoulder.

"Let's get you to the clinic" he said as they started for the vault entrance.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - James

James awoke at his usual time. It was a rare gift to be able to keep a regular sleep schedule underground. He rose, careful not to wake his wife Miranda and made his way to the bathroom. A hot shower was a luxury that most Colonials enjoyed. The reactor and water pumps provided enough hot water for the entirety of the vault. Even the above ground buildings had water pumped to them, it was lukewarm by the time it reached them but James had lived in the Sentries' barracks for most of his life and knew that somewhat warm water was better than cold.

He stepped out of the shower, drying off with a towel. He approached the small sink. James pushed on the mirror that hung above the sink, the glass popped and swung out. He plucked the straight razor from the cabinet and closed the mirror. Shaving was a long and nerve wracking process that he would love to abandon, shaving cream was a thing of the old world. He was able to get his hands on some occasionally but mostly he was forced to use more primitive lubrication.

He dipped two fingers on his left hand into the pot and spread the cream over his face. He had some ideas of what went into the cream but never had the nerve to ask the farmer that he bought it from. Small controlled strokes he reminded himself as he drew the blade over his face. When he was a sentry he had just let his bead grow. James was they kind of man who truly got a five-o'clock shadow. He had only cut it with his knife. Miranda had convinced him to ditch the facial face, she cited that it did not fit his station. He finished, rinsed his face off and replace the razor. He smoothed back his graying hair and reentered the bedroom.

His bed was empty, he heard his wife in the kitchen. He dressed in his usual suit and tie. He entered the kitchen gave Miranda a kiss and reminded her that he had an early council meeting and would just eat in the cafeteria after.

James loved the bustle of the vault in the morning. You could just stand on the right side of the hall and the tide of people would carry you. At least he could two years ago, now everyone gave him a wide berth.

As he entered the council chambers, the rest of the members stood.

"Mr. President" the man standing to his right nodded a greeting.

"Good morning Phil" James responded. "Please sit" he addressed the room.

The five other council member returned to their seats. James sat and looked at the one member that had not stood. Hershel gave him a patronizing smile and took a swig from the bottle in front of him. James sighed, if it was up to him he would have had the drunk removed the day he took office. But, sadly, that was not a power of the president. The Reactor manager had always held a seat, back to the beginning when he had fixed the vaults main computer and brought the reactor back online.

James knew that the man could not stand but he was certain that even if Herschel had ten legs he still would not.

"I hereby call the council of vault executives to order on the.." James checked the date on his Pip-boy. "Tenth of June twenty-two seventy. I open the floor to business." After the required words he added "I believe that Phil called this meeting, Phil" he turned to the General.

The man rose, smoothed his uniform and addressed the room. "If you remember, several months ago some merchants informed us that an empire was spreading in the lands to the south, we decided that until they got closer or contacted us we would leave them alone. Over the last week I have deployed all five Ranger squads. It just happened that I had missions for all of them. One of the squads, that I sent after some Brahmin thieves, found something." The General reached in his pocket and raised a gold coin for the room to see. "I talked to one of the trading caravans, they say it is the currency of Caesars' Legion. It is the empire to the south. They have started spreading north and are absorbing or conquering the nomads. I talked to the other squads, they all reported an above average number of guns, gold and silver in the loot from the raids. The Legion is coming. They are large, have a strong military and are arming the locals against us. I am in charge of the military of this city and it is my duty to inform you that we will not be able to withstand a committed assault."

The room was silent. James was the first to speak. "Do you think they will try to take the city?"

"I don't know. They might, from what I heard it sounds like they will try to convert us first. I would need more intel."

"What's stopping you?"

James shifted his attention to the cripple. "What?" Phil asked.

"What's stopping you from getting more?" Hershel elaborated.

"As I said" Phil began "I had deployed all the Rangers. They just returned yesterday, all with wounded and some with casualties. I want to wait for them to recover before I send them out again."

Hershel grunted and took another drink. Susan the secretary of vault affairs spoke next. "Do you think we should contact this legion? A mean if we talk to them before they get here we might have a better chance of avoiding conflict."

Heads nodded around the room. James addressed the General. "Can we send an envoy?"

The man thought about it for a moment then responded. "Give me a month."

"Why so long?" Hershel asked, taking another drink.

Phil looked annoyed. "I will need to hire a merchant that will be willing to guild us. None of the ones in the city currently were cooperating. This is not a short trip, I will need time to organize Rangers and Sentries. Plus support and pack animals. The Rangers are hurt and the sentries are busy guarding the crews building and gathering supplies for the wall. The wall that will be finished in two weeks." Phil stared Hershel down.

Wanting to defuse the tension James spoke. "If everyone is in agreement, the envoy will leave in one month's time. The question now is who will be our ambassador?"

The room was silent. Each member looked at the others expectantly.

"I'll do it" Dave, the Farm and ranch secretary, volunteered.

James gave him an appreciatory nod before asking "Can you leave your post for a few months?"

"We're done planting and the harvest won't be for a while" Dave explained. "My son can handle things while I am gone."

"Is everyone in agreement with this plan?" the heads of the council bobbed. "Okay" James said tapping the table with his gavel. "Next item on the agenda is…"

He looked at his Pip-Boy. Changing the name of the city. He sighed, this subject had been brought up half a dozen times and had been tabled just as many. The debate broke out, it should stay, it should be New-this it should be Old-that. In the end they tabled the discussion for another day. The rest of the meeting was trivial bureaucratic nonsense. By the time they adjourned it was well into the afternoon. James was tired and hungry. He headed for his wife's work, hopefully she had not yet eaten.

* * *

**I apologize for missing last week. School has been taking more time and the chapters are getting longer. I know this is my shortest but I like to keep a two week buffer, also I had to rewrite this chapter three times. Anyway chapter 6 will be up next Saturday. Thanks for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Jasmine

"There on the horizon, two a clock." Jas pointed in the direction she had described.

Sarah, who was sitting beside her, followed her finger.

"Nice, is that all five?"

They were sitting on the battlement, feet dangling over the edge, watching the Rangers return.

"Yup two this morning and three now."

The sun was setting as girls watched the desert. It was quiet up here and you could see for miles. It had been a long day. Jas had spent it all down in the vault helping Herschel, Sarah had worked in the orphanage. She would not even need to tryout, the job had been hers for years. Jas did not know how she could stand to go back to that place every day. It had been hell for Jas, the day of her fifteenth birthday she had been out of there and had never returned. The girls sat there chatting until the sun had set. Jas hopped down from the ramparts.

"See you tomorrow" Sarah landed next to her, and gave her a hug. "Love you."

Jas freed herself from the embrace. "Yeah, you too."

* * *

Jas woke on the fifteenth from an alarm. Usually she did not use the clock but today she could not risk sleeping in. She dressed in her usual jumpsuit and tried to eat. The Colony had a constant supply of fresh food: fruits, grains and vegetables. Plus pre-war food that was scavenged. Today Jas' stomach was twisted in nervous knots and she could barely force down some corn bread and a small glass of milk. She looked in the small cracked mirror that hung by her door. She had trimmed her hair the previous night and it stood up in its proud black spikes. She smiled at the face in the mirror.

"Todays the day. Don't fuck this up."

She took a deep breath and open the door. She lived in a small apartment in a building constructed above the vault. If she was married and had kids she might get a room in the vault that or if she was granted a significant rank or position. She exited the building and walked to the event. The different employers had set booths in the field in front of the vault entrance. In front of them all a man stood at a table. A short line had formed in front of him. Jas got into the line and peered around the teen standing before her. The girl in the front of the line stepped forward. The man asked her name and desired position. He entered the data into his Pip-Boy, pointed her toward the proper booth and gestured the next teen forward.

After a few minutes it was Jas's turn.

She stepped up to the table and said "Jasmine May, Rangers."

The man gave her a double take. "Um, you, um." Her stare silenced him. The man pointed behind himself. "You have to run the course before meeting them." He informed her.

The obstacle course that was set up took up a majority of the field. Both Ranger and Sentry perspectives had to run it. Jas gave the course a once over. It was the same as last year and nothing that she had not trained for. First was cargo net climbing wall. Two telephone poles had been sunk in the ground. The net hung between them. The soldiers had been nice enough to stack two old matrices at the base.

Jas jumped and grasped the netting. She climbed, when she had first started practicing she had ended up upside down more often then she would like to admit but now she was a natural. She reached the top, rolled over the peak and started down the other side. When she was five feet from the ground she let go and let the beds absorb her impact. She stood and started for the next obstacle. It was a simple sprint. She stood in a ready stance at the start line and gave the attending soldier a nod.

"Thirty seconds….GO!" he told her.

She smirked. She could do it in twenty. She bolted forward, the end of the track warped toward her. She got to the end, smacked the rotating sign on her way around and ran back. As she crossed the finish line the man clicked the timer.

"Nine-teen" he mumbled to himself as he fiddled with his Pip-Boy.

Jas walked slowly to the next obstacle. Taking her time to catch her breath. Barbed wire was stretched about a foot and a half above the ground. The soldiers had poured water over the obstacle turning the ground below the wires into a muddy swamp. Jas sighed. She had seen this obstacle last year and had hoped that they would remove it. She got onto her belly and started to crawl. It was a horrible experience. Lift your head high enough to breath and the wire would catch in your hair and scalp. Lower your head so you didn't hurt yourself and you were breathing air laced with mud.

She stood coughing. Her entire body was caked with mud. Jas scraped off what she could and continued forward. The next few obstacles gave her no problems. The course ended next to a small building, next to it stood a man. He wore the Sentries uniform and looked inpatient. Jas walked up to him, a small group of teens had gathered in a semicircle in front of him.

She looked at her fellows. They were covered in mud same as her. She was by far the shortest and the thinnest. A man in a lab coat entered the building with a wave at the soldier.

The Sentry turned to the teens. "All right boys there is a hose by the hut. Wash off then go in, one at a time. If he gives you the okay then proceed into the next room."

Jas nodded with the rest. The mud, short hair and unflattering jumpsuit had hidden her gender. She knew that they would find out in the end but the more test she passed before that the better her chances.

The water from the hose was ice cold. Most of the water piped up from the vault was like this. Only a few pipes that led to the showers had any warmth to it. She had taken up the habit of showering at the end of her work day when she was in the vault, the decontamination shower was small but it was always warm. She washed off her face and did her best to remove the mud from her clothes. After she washed up Jas sat against the buildings wall and waited her turn. The doctor opened the door.

"Next" he called out.

Jas stood and entered the building.

The room was small and dark, lit by a small window and bare bulb. It contained an examination table, a desk and a small machine. The doctor had his back to her, he was messing with papers on the desk.

"Sit down and take your shirt off." He said in a practiced manner.

Jas froze for a moment, but she saw no way out of it so she proceeded to do as instructed. She unzipped her jumpsuit, tied the sleeves around her waist and sat on the examination table.

The doctor turned around "okay I am going to do a ba…" he fell silent when he saw Jas.

the white tank top that she wore under the jumpsuit was still wet and did nothing to hide her gender.

"Um I um" the doctor stuttered. He checked his Pip-Boy "And your name is?" he questioned with his eyes locked down.

"Jasmine May."

The doctor scrolled through his computer.

He stopped paused then looked up and spoke. "Well you're on the list so I guess they are okay with it."

He proceeded with the physical. Basic stuff. Breath in, breath out, hitting her knees with a hammer. The machine turned out to be an eye tester. The doctor signed a piece of paper and handed it to Jas.

"You are in perfect physical condition, keep this and give it to the captain that instructs you in your final test."

Jas took the paper, folded it, stuck it in her pocket and opened the door that lead into the second room. This room was just as small as the first. It had a couch and a chair. In the chair sat a middle aged woman with glasses. The woman looked up from her notepad. Jas had to give her credit, if she was surprised she hid it perfectly.

"Hello dear, sit down please" she said with a sickly sweet smile.

Jas sat, rigidly, and looked at the woman. The smile was really starting to freak her out.

"So" the woman began "Why do you want to join the military?"

Jas had been expecting this question, and had practiced a response.

"I want to serve this city. Also I am a transplant, a Ranger saved me from life out there. I want to do the same."

The woman nodded and wrote something down. "Sweaty don't you think that you could serve in a different way? I mean, it's a dangerous life. Many Rangers die before they retire and it is a hard world out there."

Jas was starting to get pissed off. She had expected some sexism but not from her own gender.

"I am sure. I have wanted this for a long time." Her words did nothing to change the psychologists smile.

"Okay, let's begin." The woman said through her bright white teeth.

The rest of the interview was just as tedious. She had to describe what she saw in ink blots and what word did she think of after she heard dog. Throughout it all the woman kept the smile plastered on her face and at every turn she reminded Jas that this was a man's occupation and that her "place" was here were she was safe. When they were finally done the woman signed a similar form to the one the doctor had and held it out to Jas. "Congratulations, you have no major mental diseases. You would make a great mother."

Jas glared at the woman. The bitch had to bring it up one more time. She snatched the paper from the woman's hand and stormed out of the room.

After the dim light inside the desert sun was blinding. Jas covered her eyes with one arm as she folded the paper into her pocket. A bench had been set up under the shade cast by the building. A few of her fellows were already seated. She sat down next to a tall blond boy and waited. An hour passed, every fifteen minutes or so another teen would come out of the building, look around, and sit on the bench. When a Ranger finally approached them there were eight teens waiting. The man was huge. Well over six foot, a scar ran across his face. The man stood in front of them, silently judging them. He spent a good five seconds staring at each one of them. When he reached Jas his face showed no emotion. When he was done examining them the man spoke.

"I am Captain Miller. You will call me Captain or Sir."

He gestured another ranger over. This man was carrying a pile of back packs.

"Each of you will take one pack. In the packs are some basic supplies and directions to where you are going. You can work together if you want we don't care. But remember we will be watching. For the first twenty minutes or so you will be in the Colony's fields. Do not even think about picking anything. When you get to your destination there will be several items. Take only one and pace your selves it will take about twelve hours to go there and back."

The teens were mute as the Captain spoke. When he was done Miller stepped aside and gestured toward the packs.

Jas opened the pack she had grabbed. Inside were some simple supplies as advertised. She would look at those later, the folded paper drew her attention. She withdrew it from the bag and opened it. It was the directions. It referenced distances, directions and times. Its first instruction was clear. Exit using the West gate. Jas hung the pack on her chest and moved toward the gate. As she walked she explored the pack more. She found a watch and a compass. Which she removed, strapped the watch to her wrist and hung the compass around her neck. The pack also included a pocket knife, canteen of water and half a book of matches. Jas moved the knife to her pocket and shifted the bag onto her back.

She glanced behind her as she neared the gate. The other seven teens were in a line behind her. As she passed under the wall she reread the next instruction. Head West-Northwest for three miles. She checked her watch. If she could maintain this pace she should be there in forty-five minutes. She froze for a moment, just long enough for the compass needle to settle. She twisted and looked up. The land in front of her was flat for as far as she could see. She shrugged, adjusted the pack to rest more on her waist and started walking.

* * *

Forty-eight minutes later she reached a small stone marker. Small rocks had been piled upon each other. A stick with a rag tied to it was stuck in the top, the fabric flapped in the wind. Jas stood next to it and reread the next instruction. Head Southeast for four miles. She glanced around. The desert was flat and barren. The ever present wind swept dust clouds across the sand. She read the third instruction, then the fourth then the fifth. The first six instructions were an elaborate circle that would leave you standing at the West gate. From there the directions told you to head straight West into the mountains. She stood still indecisive. The Captain had said that they were being watched. Was this the test, do you follow mindlessly or do you think for yourself? Or is the test about following orders even when you can see that they are wrong?

"Fuck it" she said to herself as she headed back the way she had come.

It took her slightly longer to get back. The sun was well into the sky and the desert was relentless in its heat and wind. The pack held nothing to protect her from the elements and the rules had been very specific in the clothing she could wear for the day.

It was two o'clock when Jas entered the foothills. A few minutes back she had come upon a foot path that the instructions had detailed. The trail led her higher into the hills. Her grumbling stomach forced her to stop. She drank the last of the water from her canteen, sealed it, placed it back in the pack and searched the bag again for food. The land was ripe with small mammals and birds, once she had entered the hills trees had begun to grow, at this point the pines and aspens were numerous and the undergrowth lush. Although the animals were plenty Jas lacked the tools to hunt them. She could try snares but that would take too much time. She sighed and picked up her bag. She would press on, hopefully she would be back in the city by nightfall.

The going was tough. The trail had increased in steepness and the few berries that she had found did little to satisfy her hunger. The trail was lined with fruiting bushes but she was uncertain about most of them. The thirst was starting to get to her. The country, while beautiful, was dry. She pressed on and continued to climb. At four she reached the end of the trail. Jas looked around. The path had led her to a hilltop clearing. In the center was a stack of stones similar to the one she had found this morning.

As she approached the pillar she noticed the items that the Captain had mentioned. Scattered around the pillar was a cacophony of things. Food cans, ammo boxes, gear, random items like spoons and paper weights. She continued to the center. There she stood and surveyed the ground. She crouched and picked up a can of beans, empty. Another test, what do you take. She tried to swallow but the dryness of her mouth caused pain. The ground was suspiciously void of water. A small sound attracted her attention. She walked to the edge of the clearing, carful to avoid stepping on the items.

Running along the edge of the clearing was a small stream. Jas dropped to her knees and plunged her hands into the icy water. She paused a moment, the water was clear and the stream bed looked clean, its temperature suggested that it was snow melt. Satisfied of its safety Jas drank. After she had downed her fill she filled her canteen and returned to the pillar ready to make her choice.

As she gave the supplies one final go over she noticed something. Siting at the base of the rock mound, propped up against it, was a doll. She leaned down and gently lifted it up. It was of an infant, made from rags with crude stiches. She looked around at the other options. She had said that she wanted to be a ranger to save children from that life. If this was a test then she would make her answer this. She dropped the pack, unzipped it and carefully placed the doll inside.

Jas was halfway down the mountain when she meet another person. It was the blonde boy that she had sat next to. When they saw each other they both froze.

The boy was the first to speak "Figure out the circle?"

Jas nodded yes.

The boy shook his head in shame as he spoke "Yeah me to, but it was at the third marker. How far is it, to the top?"

"Mile and a half"

The boy smiled and started walking again "Thanks" he said as he passed her.

It was night by the time Jas reached the city. She had been stumbling along in the dark for the past half-hour. The gate was closed as she approached. The sentry on duty spotted her and called out below. The gate clanged and grated open.

Jas stumbled into the Ranger's barracks. It was a long low building in the military compound. A woman was at the front desk, she was standing and appeared to be getting ready to leave. Jas looked at her watch. It read 10:24. Jas cleared her throat and the woman's head shot up.

"Um, hello, are you one of the tryouts?" the woman's voice was soft.

Jas nodded, the woman set a pile of papers back on her desk and sat down at her computer. She typed for a moment then looked at Jas.

"Name and item?"

Jas approached the desk as she spoke. "Jasmine May, and the doll." Jas's words caused the woman to smile.

"I always love it when people choose the baby" her hand flew across the keyboard. "I'll take the doll." Jas reached into her pack and handed the doll to the woman.

The receptionist took the doll and pointed to the door to her right. "That is the recruit's room. Pick a bunk carefully it will be yours for the next year."

Jas gave the woman a rare smile and handed her the backpack.

The woman shook her head and said "Keep it, it is yours from now on."

The recruit's dorm was small. It had ten bunk beds and a single bathroom. Jas looked around then picked the top bunk farthest from the door. She slung the pack over the bed post, jumped up onto the thin matrass and passed out. It had been a long day.


End file.
